Over the last decade, the Ball Canning folks have brought a handful of canning appliances to market. The first was the FreshTECH Jam and Jelly Maker in the summer of 2012. The FreshTECH Automatic Home Canning System was the thing during the 2014 canning season. And now, we have the Ball FreshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker.
This electric canner is exactly what I know a number of you have been hoping for. It’s a giant pot that has an independent element so that you can move your processing pot off your stove top and over to the counter.
It holds 8 quarts, nine pints, or a dozen regular mouth half pints (that means that if you stack them, you can process 24 quarter pint jars at once). It’s particularly great if your stove is slow to boil water or if you’ve been warned off canning on a glass top cooktop. It works like any other boiling water bath canner, so if you live at higher altitudes, you will still need to adjust your processing time upwards.
It has a spout on the left side of the canner, so if your kitchen is arranged in a way where you can set the canner to the right of your stove, you can drain the water directly into the sink. The canner comes with a steaming rack as well as a canning rack, so that you can use it for all your high capacity steaming needs (I could see it being perfect for tamale parties).
It can also be used as a portable cooker, so can work for large amounts of soup, chili, or even something like mulled cider. Nice if you help with community potlucks or church suppers.
I’ve now run a number batches of jars through the canner and I am really happy with it. It’s not going to become my primary boiling water bath because I make a lot of small batches and it doesn’t make sense to heat up this much water for two or three pints, but for larger batches, it’s a boon.
It’s also incredibly useful during tomato season and I’ve started bringing it with me to my classes and workshops where I know we’re making multiple batches and so we’ll need more canner space.
This canner does cost $149.99, which is a pretty penny if you already have a canning set-up you like. If you like the idea of moving your canning pot off your stove top but can’t swing that price point, there is a more affordable way to create something similar.
Get yourself an induction capable stock pot (a classic speckled canner with a flat bottom will work) and the induction burner I have (it’s just $60) and you have a canner you can run anywhere (I highly recommend outdoor canning on really hot days).
My bottom line on the Ball FreshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner is that it’s a great tool for people who do lots of large batch canning. If you have the budget and storage space for it, I highly recommend it.
Disclosure: The folks at Ball Canning sent me a FreshTECH Electric Canner for review and photography purposes at no cost to me. They are also provided a giveaway unit. No additional compensation was provided for this post and all opinions expressed are my own.
i have been using my Grandma’s old canning pot. We are about to move into a house with a glass top stove so I was just showing my husband this canner and saying how nice it would be. I can’t wait to get our garden going and start canning again.
This looks like the bee’s knees! I gave up my ancient, beat-up aluminum canner when we switched out our range to an induction cook-top – the wonky bottom made for lots of problems. 🙁 Currently use a 20 quart stock pot with a home-made rack (canning rings, tied together). This looks awesome — and ahem: did you say ‘tamales’??????
I do have my grandmothers, but it is the biggest size and doesn’t fit on rhe stove top I have now. This new canning system would be wonderful…I love rhe idea of canning outside.
Just getting started! The ability to move it outside is what I love!
My husband and I do a lot of canning and really need to replace our canner that is 50 years old used by my mother in law before she died at age 97
I have an enamelware canner. Would love this one to make the job easier.
I use my mothers old canning pot. It is dented and starting to rust. This would be amazing.
My Grandmother canned all the time. I have only been able to water bath can right now because I don’t have the money for a special canner. I write to her everyone i learn to can something new because she can’t hear well on the phone. It just reminds me how much I miss those times. I good to pass the tradition in to my daughter, too,
I use a large pot and a silicone trivet on a gas range. I would LOVE to try an electric canner to free up my stovetop and perhaps be a little cooler in summer months (an issue in Florida!) when I do most of my canning. Thanks!
stock pot with rack, been looking to buy one of these
I use an enamel water bath canning pot. It was fine for canning on our old stove, but now that we have a glass cooktop, I worry about filling the pot with more than a few jars due to the weight. I’d love to try this type of “stand alone” canner.
I need a canning setup. This year we are planning to plant a large garden and I have chosen the recipes to make and process in my canner– but I don’t have a plan for getting one yet.
We can’t wait for canning season.
I have an enamel pot with a jar insert for big jobs, and use a spaghetti pot with a heat resistant plastic basket for small projects.
I have a steam canner but not a water bath set up.
Oh I would love this. I have a glass top stove and use the old fashioned pots. Risky I know.
I use a small stock pot with a rack made from extra canning rings.
New canner. Bad back. Great idea.
This would be a wonderful setup for outside canning on the back porch since my new kitchen is w-a-y smaller than the last one we had. I do have a large stainless steel stockpot at the moment that I’ve been using for canning but this one looks amazing for those huge batches of tomatoes and salsas.
I have an old enamel water bath canner I bought years ago at an auction, as well as tons of jars as well. While I love using it, I also love the idea of having a pot off the stove, especially in the hot days of summer!
I am using garage sale set ups. I would love this.
I would love to have this canner because I have a glass top stove and have already broken one side.
I have an old-fashioned canner, but I now have a smooth-top stove. Since the manufacturer advises against using a canner on the stove, I have to carry everything to an old propane apartment-sized stove we store in the garage.
I use a large stock pot that needs replaced. This would be awesome!
i need this. Moving cross country to a new house with the electric glass top stove leaving a gas stove top.
I use a large enamel pot with a wire rack that was handed down to me. It works great but I would love to be able to can without using my stove top.
I have an inherited enamel pot. It’s getting old but has been useful over the years
I currently use all my mothers old canning supplies. Would love this!
I have a stockpot type canner. I would LOVE one of these new ones.
-Kristie
I am using the family old set up,this would be absolutely amazing!!!!
I use a canner and rack set my mother bought me when I got married 33 years ago. I have the jelly maker and love it. So I am willing to upgrade my technology for canning as well.
I use a large stockpot that will need to be replaced in the near future. I have stackable racks that will hold up to 12 jars at once. My husband has to lift it to empty because it is so heavy. This pot would be ideal.
I currently use my stepdads old canner he got from his mom. But it is old & it is a little scary to use! I sure could use a new one that i’m not going to be afraid to use!
Ball canning pot with a rack, but I bought a silicone trivet to try out this year
Summer is coming.
I am using the canning pot that my mother used when i was growing up.
I am using an old fashioned set up…I NEED THIS!!!!
I could have seriously used this last summer when my stove broke at the height of cucumber season! Right now I have both a water bath and a steam canner.
Canning usually a full morning with lg pot. This looks like it might make it a lot easier! Would love one, thanks for the chance!
I have a 24-qt stockpot, but not a well fitting rack in the bottom…
I’m in the market for a new set up.
I have a good old stainless stock pot I use for everything else and one of those trivets you taught us about. I would LOVE this for those summer days, plus it would be more energy efficient.
I am actually using my Grandmother’s canning pot.
I use my old harvest gold pressure canner as a water bath canner, and it weighs a ton filled with water! I am not supposed to pick up anything over 10 pounds, so this new canner sounds fabulous!
I have a water bathe canner and a pressure canner. I need a new one !!
I have a pot from a yard sale that is really tall and I have to use a foot stool. I then have to put a towel in the water because I don’t have a rack. This would be way more convenient.
i AM using my grandmothers setup and have been for years. I live in a super small house so space is limited and the stove is in a tiny area and I have a ridiculously busy schedule!
This would make life so fun and speed up the process!
I have the 21 qt stainless steel canning pot by cook n home for replacement of my rusted speckled blue water bath canning but I cannot use it because I cannot find a rack to sit inside of it. I ordered a round rack to sit inside but both racks sent to me are not flat so the jars won’t sit properly for canning.
I am out of commission at this time. 🙁 I would love to have a new Ball canner and the spout makes it easy to empty with my arthritis so I think this new pot is a godsend.
I have a secondhand canning pot my mom got me… I should probably get a new one. Thanks for the giveaway!
I currently have the black enamel pot that I use on my glass top stove. The height of the pot makes it difficult to fill and empty but it gets the job done. I can’t wait for tomato canning season.
I use the good, old, speckled granite ware scanners. It would be great to be able to can using counter space!